FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 9, 1998
OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS

ODOT Releases Third Annual
Transportation System Report

(COLUMBUS) - Ohio Department of Transportation Director Jerry Wray today unveiled ODOT’s third annual State of the Transportation System Report, a comprehensive update on the current "health" of one of the State of Ohio’s most critical assets, it’s transportation system. In coordination with the event was the announcement of the advancement of several major new construction projects.

The report offers an in-depth look at:

• ODOT’s Financial Condition
  
• Ohio’s Pavement Conditions
  
• Ohio’s Bridges
  
• Ohio’s Public Transit Networks
  
• Ohio’s Aviation Facilities
  
• ODOT’s Production Capabilities
  
• The Transportation Review Advisory Council

"This report provides an annual snapshot of the condition of our transportation system. As custodians of that system, it’s important that ODOT reports to its customers how the system is doing," said Wray.

The report also provides a detailed review of departmental activities during the past year and outlines initiatives for the upcoming year.

"The department has been experiencing on-going change for several years as we continue to restructure and re-engineer ODOT. We have trimmed more than $150 million from operating costs as a result of internal restructuring and re-invested those savings in our construction program."

The assessment, much like a corporation’s annual report, tracks important trends in the transportation system and predicts future conditions based on transportation use to determine future funding needs and allocations.

"As a result of the passage of the federal transportation budget this summer our financial picture has become more clear," said Wray. "We will receive about $802 million in federal funds for 1999. This is about $100 million more than we received in 1998. Even with these increased funds the demands of the highway network are tremendous, so it is increasingly important for the department to perform its duties as efficiently and effectively as possible."

Some of the highlights from this year’s State of the System Transportation Report include:

• ODOT’s overall construction program will be the largest in history consistently surpassing $1 billion from 2000 to 2003.
  
• ODOT will expand expenditures on local projects by more than 10 percent.
  
• Transit ridership in Ohio continues to increase and public transit systems will focus on new strategies to support the "welfare to work" initiatives and to respond to the shifting urban landscape.
  
• The overall condition of Ohio’s bridges and pavements have remained stable over the past year. The department has adopted new bridge and pavement allocations to better target funds to those areas with greatest pavement and bridge needs.
  
• ODOT sold $950 million worth of construction projects in State Fiscal Year 1998. The department is projecting it will fund nearly $1 billion in projects in State Fiscal Year 1999.
  
• The Transportation Review Advisory Council, a nine-member panel will continue to oversee ODOT’s Major New Construction project selection process.